The Minster Project 2020

Important information about participating in Diocesan Convention

Note: Lay delegates and all canonically resident clergy may participate in Diocesan Convention this year in one of two ways: In-person at a location in one of the 11 minster churches OR Individually, online from your home Here is information participants need to know about each option.

At a minster site At home online

Wear a mask at all times when Have the Zoom meeting log-in indoors. information handy. If you’re new to Zoom, take part in one of the Zoom tutorials ahead of time. 6 feet Keep 6 feet distance from anyone not in your family. You can participate using any ó Internet-connected device: desk- top computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Tablets and smart- Bring your convention book and phones require the Zoom app. other mailed materials and your Note: You also will need to use red and green cards. one such device for voting.

Bring an Internet-connected Have handy your convention device with you for voting: laptop, book and other mailed materials tablet or smartphone. and your red and green cards.

Bring a lunch or plan to visit a If you wish to speak during the drive-through. The meeting room convention, put your name in the will be closed during the lunch chat box, and you’ll be notified break for cleaning. when it’s your turn.

If you feel sick, do not attend in We know it’s hard to stay fully person. Use the link sent to you engaged in online meetings, so by email to connect by Zoom from thanks in advance for watching home. carefully.

• 1 • Agenda for Minster Time

The minster shepherd will lead two, half-hour discussions (one hour total) with the lay delegates and clergy from their minster (those online via Zoom and those in person).

Session I: The Minster Project, the concept and brief review of Year One (30 minutes) Reinforce minster concept for mission and ministry Inform delegates about minster activity in 2020–2021 The minster shepherd reintroduces the minster concept to delegates, either reading aloud or allowing all to read silently the bishop’s description of the Minster Project on page 3. One intention of the minsters is that they empower us to live Jesus’ Way of Love, both in our church circles and in our neighborhood contexts. The group will watch Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Way of Love video (provided to minster shepherds and Zoom vergers) and review the Way of Love practices on page 4. If there is time, the minster shepherd invites participants to share with one another which Way of Love practices they are personally drawn to most, and which practice is a strength of each particular parish community. The minster shepherd will describe the activity in which the minster has engaged over the last year and invite minster participants to offer their own reflections (suggested questions): How have minster participants built a sense of community in the past year? What have been some gains or setbacks for your sense of community?

Session II: How can we move forward in missional action in Year Two? (30 minutes) The minster neighborhood is the local community context that our parishes inhabit. Please look at the maps that follow (pages 5–10). In what kind of “neighborhood’’ is your minster located? The bishop is asking that each minster prayerfully choose one or two action items to adopt for the upcoming year. The minster shepherd now allows time for all gathered to read the items that have been offered by diocesan task forces, on pages 11–13. The minster should discuss: Has any missional or outreach work begun yet? If so, what is it? If it is aimed at the larger community and not just the church circle, the bishop will approve actions outside this list. Please discuss which action items are resonating most. The minster shepherd (or an appointed scribe) needs to write down and submit to the bishop and canon to the ordinary the items that are surfacing. Members should pray further and by the end of November make a final choice of direction. Discussion with Vestry and other lay leaders of each parish is encouraged, if helpful; the idea is that the minster teams lead, but many Episcopalians in the minsters participate. All clergy automatically are on the team in each minster. What lay leaders might be added to empower the chosen work?

• 2 • The Kansas Minster Project: From Bishop Cathleen Bascom

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has inspired all of us in recent years with the understanding that we are “the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.” He has also encouraged us to revisit — or learn anew — spiritual practices described as “the Way of Love,” that our mission and ministry as the Jesus Movement may be deep and rich and centered on God. Simply put, the practices of the Way of Love empower us to love God and love our neighbor per Jesus’ summary of the law.

The Kansas Minster Project proposes a collaborative way of organizing ourselves for God’s mission in the Diocese of Kansas in the 21st century — it is a vision of our “branching pattern” for the Jesus Movement, a way of structur- ing to bear the Way of Love with new vigor.

I have come to believe that our gospel work will be more sustainable and fruitful if we revise our strict congregational church models (which worked very well for much of the 19th and 20th centuries) and think more collabora- tively and regionally (looking back to models used in Europe and England in the 1st through 15th centuries). I have been in conversation with both the Council of Trustees of the diocese and the Council of Deans about this, and they are in support of further exploration of the Minster model.

In the section of the bishop profile entitled “The Bishop We Seek,” one characteristic for the Tenth Bishop of Kansas reads: “Works outside conventional structures and boundaries…We seek a bishop who reconsiders conventional, traditional structures and boundaries at the local, convocation, diocesan and denominational levels, and seeks ways that we, the church, can be stronger together.”

The Diocese of Kansas has 11 regional ministers:

Free State-All Saints: St. Martin’s, Edwardsville; St. Margaret’s, Lawrence; Trinity, Lawrence; St. Aidan’s, Olathe; Grace, Ottawa; St. Francis’, Overland Park; St. Thomas’, Overland Park; Canterbury House of Lawrence

Kansas River: St. Paul’s, Kansas City; St. Michael and All Angels, Mission; St. Luke’s, Shawnee

Missouri River: Trinity, Atchison; St. Paul’s, Leavenworth

Bluestem: St. John’s, Abilene; St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids; St. Paul’s, Clay Center; Church of the Covenant, Junction City; St. Paul’s, Marysville

Tallgrass: St. Thomas’, Holton; St. Paul’s, Manhattan; Grace Cathedral, Topeka; St. David’s, Topeka; St. Luke’s, Wamego; Canterbury House at K-State

Little Church on the Prairie: St. Paul’s, Coffeyville; Church of the Epiphany, Independence; Church of the Ascension, Neodesha; Epiphany, Sedan

Love-Emitting Disciples: Grace, Chanute; St. Timothy’s, Iola; Calvary, Yates Center

Southeast: St. Mary’s, Galena; St. John’s, Parsons; St. Peter’s, Pittsburg

Heartland: Trinity, El Dorado; St. Andrew’s, Emporia; St. Matthew’s, Newton; St. Stephen’s, Wichita

South by Southwest: Trinity, Arkansas City; St. Andrew’s, Derby; St. Jude’s, Wellington; Grace, Winfield

Wichita: Good Shepherd, Wichita; St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita; St. James’, Wichita; St. John’s, Wichita; college work at Wichita State • 3 • TURN: Pause, listen, and choose to follow Jesus Like the disciples, we are called by Jesus to follow the Way of Love. With God’s help, we can turn from the powers of sin, hatred, fear, injustice, and oppression toward the way of truth, love, hope, justice, and freedom. In turning, we re-orient our lives to Jesus Christ, falling in love with Jesus again and again.

LEARN: Reflect on Scripture each day, especially Jesus’ life and teachings By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we draw near to God and God’s word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.

PRAY: Dwell intentionally with God each day Prayer is a response to God’s initiative, with or without words. Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word, or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.

WORSHIP: Gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and draw near God When we worship, we gather with others before God. We hear the Good News of Jesus, give thanks, confess and offer the brokenness of the world to God. As we break bread, our eyes are opened to the presence of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are made one body, the body of Christ sent for to live the Way of Love.

BLESS: Share faith and unselfishly give and serve Jesus called his disciples to give, forgive, teach, and heal in his name. We are empowered by the Spirit to bless everyone we meet, practicing generosity and compassion and proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ with hopeful words and selfless actions. We can share our stories of blessing and invite others to the Way of Love.

GO: Cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus As Jesus went to the highways and byways, he sends us beyond our circles and comfort to witness to the love, justice, and truth of God with our lips and with our lives. We go to listen.

REST: Receive the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration From the beginning of creation, God has established the sacred pattern of going and returning, labor and rest. Es- pecially today, God invites us to dedicate time for restoration and wholeness – within our bodies, minds, and souls, and within our communities and institutions. By resting we place our trust in God, the primary actor who brings all things to their fullness.

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St. Luke’s, Shawnee Luke’s, St. Kansas River Minster Kansas River St. Paul’s, Kansas City; St. Michael and All Angels, Mission; and All Angels, Mission; Michael Kansas City; St. Paul’s, St.

Canterbury of Lawrence House St. Martin’s, Edwardsville; St. Margaret’s, Lawrence; Lawrence; Margaret’s, St. Edwardsville; Martin’s, St. Trinity, Lawrence; St. Aidan’s, Olathe; Grace, Ottawa; Ottawa; Grace, Olathe; Aidan’s, St. Lawrence; Trinity, St. Francis’, Overland Park; St. Thomas’, Overland Park; Park; Overland Thomas’, St. Park; Overland Francis’, St. Free State-All Saints Minster Saints State-All Free • 5 • Missouri River Minster Bluestem Minster Trinity, Atchison; St. Paul’s, Leavenworth St. John’s, Abilene; St. Mark’s, Blue Rapids; St. Paul’s, Clay Center; Church of the Covenant, Junction City; St. Paul’s, Marysville • 6 Tallgrass Minster Little Church on the St. Thomas’, Holton; St. Paul’s, Manhattan; Prairie Minster Grace Cathedral, Topeka; St. David’s, Topeka; St. Luke’s, Wamego; Canterbury House at K-State St. Paul’s, Coffeyville; Church of the Epiphany, Independence; Church of the Ascension, Neodesha; Epiphany, Sedan • 7 Southeast Minster Love-Emitting Disciples St. Mary’s, Galena; St. John’s, Parsons; St. Peter’s, Pittsburg Minster Grace, Chanute; St. Timothy’s, Iola; Calvary, Yates Center • 8 Heartland Minster South-by-Southwest Minster Trinity, El Dorado; St. Andrew’s, Emporia; Good Shepherd, Wichita; St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita; St. Matthew’s, Newton; St. Stephen’s, Wichita St. James’, Wichita; St. John’s, Wichita; college work at Wichita State • 9 Wichita Minster Urban Minster Hubs Good Shepherd, Wichita; St. Bartholomew’s, Wichita; In some Minster Neighborhoods, particularly in urban settings, one congregation may serve as the administrative, educational or program hub. St. James’, Wichita; St. John’s, Wichita; college work at Wichita State • 10 Minster Action Items from Diocesan Task Forces

The bishop asks minsters to focus their mission and ministry in 2021 on some of the work of the diocesan task forces. Minster leadership teams are to review these Action Items offered by the task forces and select two or three to guide their minster’s work. Consider identifying members of your minster (lay or ordained) to join each task force so that discussion, decisions and actions can take the whole diocese into account.

Care of Creation Chair: Melissa Carlson, [email protected] Throughout our diocese, our many parts celebrate creation connecting us one to another. Our work should be viewed as part of a knitting together of creation care endeavors, so that actions of all parishes and minsters, large and small, add to the whole. We are all in relationship to everything and everyone God has made. As Jesus showed us to love God and one another, we are guided to respect and care for all persons and all things God has made. To celebrate our unity in the love and care of creation, we invite you to join us in action in the coming year: 1. Conduct an audit to assess the needs for maintaining, repairing and improving congregations’ building infrastructure and HVAC system, then prioritize addressing these needs in order to make wise use of our resources. 2. Facilitate use of the various creation care sites in the diocese by publicizing the sites within their minsters and around the diocese. 3. Minsters will further develop or create two creation sites within their minster through one or more of the following: a. Sponsoring minster workdays at sites b. Provide matching grants within the minster for sites c. Inventory church properties and private properties within the minster that are either available for use now or need further development 4. Incorporate weekly prayers for creation in the Prayers of the People 5. Advocate for creation by monitoring national and state legislatures and county commissions for legislation that impacts creation, disseminating information about legislative acts through parish newsletters, websites, Facebook and other public forums.

Children’s Ministry Chair: The Rev. Kay Dagg, [email protected] We invite everyone in the diocese to join us with your contribution of time, talent and/or money toward shaping the lives of our youngest members as they begin to grow into their full stature in Christ. We would love for you to connect with us to do one or more of the following: 1. Pray for the children, parents and children’s ministers in your parish and around the globe. 2. Donate gently used children’s ministry curriculum to the diocesan Children’s Ministry Resource Room at Upton Hall and online. (Online Resource Room coming soon) 3. Host one or more children’s ministry events (Godly Play trainings, diocesan events, etc.) Attend events in other minsters. 4. Create a children-and-families-focused pastoral care team (or send the one you have) to check-in with, pray for and support families with young and elementary-aged children. 5. Start a prayer partners program, connecting parishioners across generations through letter writing and greeting card exchange.

• 11 • Evangelism Co-chairs: The Rev. Gar Demo, [email protected]; and the Rev. Jon Hullinger, [email protected] 1. Engage in neighborhood prayer walks. This is a way of seeing and hearing both the needs of our context and God’s guidance (there are examples of this at https://episcopalchurch.org/posts/evangelisminitiatives/neighborhood-prayer-walks). 2. Encourage and equip congregations to engage in one-to-one story-sharing evangelism and non-judgmental evangelism — one that owns our life in Christ fully while engaging in interfaith relationships. 3. Work together and with the canon for congregational mission to research, learn and use various media opportunities including traditional and social media. 4. As a minster, brainstorm how parishes might use social media during Advent and Lent. Support each other in this evangelism opportunity. 5. Develop a plan to use the arts for evangelism. Consider how parish property might support local artists and musicians. 6. Participate in the “Digital Evangelism: Beyond the Age of Covid” workshop from Jerusalem Greer, Episcopal Church staff officer for evangelism. This will be sponsored by the diocese in November.

Global Partnerships Co-chairs: Pat Parker, [email protected]; and Lisa Welker, [email protected] The task force requests that each minster identify an interested person from their minster parishes to serve as liaison to the Global Partnerships Task Force. This person would ensure that task force-related activities are conveyed to the parishes and keep the task force apprised of mission activities of their parishes. The diocese recognizes three currently active partnership missions: the school program in Haiti, Kansas to Kenya medical and community missions; and Karin Feltman’s missionary work on human trafficking in Nepal. 1. Create a prayer team to support individuals on-site in Haiti, Kenya or Nepal. 2. Invite a speaker from the task force to your minster to discuss one or more of the individual ministry programs. 3. Plan and hold a fundraiser for one or more of the individual ministry programs. 4. Nepal: Sponsor an at-risk Nepali child for 1 year; includes school fees, uniforms, school supplies, etc., to allow the child to remain in school. ($250) 5. Haiti: Sponsor an at-risk Haitian student for 1 year; includes school fees, uniform, supplies, etc., to allow the child to remain in school. ($250) 6. K2K: Agatha Amani House: Sponsor a woman at risk of domestic violence for 1 year at Agatha Amani House in Kenya. Medical team: Support for medications and supplies. Library: Support for two sponsored libraries. Kijabe dental: Support for 1 month of dental care for indigent patients in three clinics. Student education: Help sponsor student exchange with KU School of Pharmacy and University of Nairobi School of Pharmacy. ($250) 7. Support a team member to join one of the ministry teams for on-site mission activity. ($500-$2,000)

Liturgy, Music and the Arts Co-chairs: The Rev. Mary Schrom Breese, [email protected]; and the Very Rev. Torey Lightcap, [email protected] 1. Strive to incorporate expanded-language liturgies (if approved for use). 2. Appeal to more diverse backgrounds by incorporating music from different available approved resources. 3. Create access to the body of available liturgical and musical resources by establishing minster funds for the purpose. 4. Create a minster-level virtual art gallery with submissions from artists in the communities involved. 5. Publish a minster Lenten meditation book (either physical or digital). 6. Discern what the Way of Love looks like when it’s expressed in liturgy. • 12 • Outreach Co-chairs: Deacon Fran Wheeler, [email protected]; and the Rev. Mike Loyd, [email protected] 1. Engage resources of the “Creating Caring Congregations” model on mentalhealthministries.net to do parish self-assessment and learning on competencies for mental health and wellness ministry. 2. Appoint parish-level contact or committee for mental health work. 3. Plan a minster-level event or initiative for Mental Health Month (May). 4. Create a repository for resources for housing needs in your minster. 5. Research and report active parish outreach ministries to the Outreach Task Force, including history of the ministry and current leadership. 6. Develop and mobilize at the minster level to equip individuals and parishes for civic action, especially around basic needs of food, housing and employment services/workforce development. Provide education and resources to individuals and parishes to assist in the identification of needs, the availability of resources, and how to advocate for systemic change, so that each member of the community can live fully and with dignity.

Justice and Racial Reconciliation Co-chairs: Terrell Mann, [email protected]; and the Rev. Patrick Funston, [email protected] 1. Engage the “Sacred Ground” resource from the Episcopal Church to form conversation groups at the minster and/or parish level. https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground. (Other resources may also be appropriate. Consult a member of the task force for other ideas.) Check-in and share your experience with a member of the task force. 2. Develop and mobilize at the minster level to equip individuals and parishes for civic action, especially around voting and voter registration. a. In Kansas, elections happen every year. The 2020 election season is almost over and, indeed, presidential elections get most of the attention. In reality, local elections (2021) and midterm elections (2022) feature candidates running for offices that have the most effect on our daily lives. In 2021, most Kansas towns will elect people to city council, county commission, school board and other “down ballot” positions. Some of these races are even nonpartisan (like school board). b. Churches can encourage voter registration year round (using paper registration forms or a website like KSVotes: https://www.ksvotes.org/) and then following up with those people using a tool like Voter to Voter: https://votertovoter.org/votv (the diocese already has a team). No Covid precautions neces- sary for these web-based tools. Voter to Voter even has an initiative geared to churches called Faith in Democracy, where you can see how other churches are engaging their communities in this work. c. While we want to encourage our church members to participate, it’s not just our parishioners we need to reach. Elderly, minority and lower socio-economic populations do not vote at the same rate as white, educated, wealthier individuals. In our baptismal covenant, we promise to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Exercising the right to vote is an extension of this dignity and respect and is a way for our neighbors to achieve justice. Once we are able to gather in groups and visit neighbors safely again, there will be even more opportunities to engage our neighbors who aren’t registered and/or don’t vote often. 3. Capitalize on the “fierce urgency of now” by committing to preaching and teaching about dismantling racism in our parishes at least once a month. Follow-up with experiences and reception with minster group and/or a member of the task force. 4. Reach out and schedule one social event with a local congregation of color. Practice letting go of your power by offering first to join that community, not inviting them into your space. Hosting will come later.

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